The President of Ghana, John Mahama, has described the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI) as a “model for leadership capacity building in Africa.”
He made the remark on Tuesday while inaugurating the 13-member Governing Board of the Institute, chaired by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, with retired General Martin Agwai serving as Director.
The Board comprises eminent African and global figures, including former Presidents Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Macky Sall (Senegal), and Ameenah Gurib-Fakim (Mauritius); Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank; Professor Funmi Olonisakin of King’s College London; Ambassador Barry Desker of Singapore; Professor PLO Lumumba of Kenya; Dr. Kofo Obasanjo-Blackshire of London; Professor Peter Okebukola; and Professor Jeremiah Ojediran, Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology.
Speaking to journalists after the inauguration, OOLI Facilitator Professor Peter Okebukola noted that President Mahama lauded the Institute as “a timely response to Africa’s enduring leadership challenges.”
He recalled the commissioning of the Institute’s headquarters in March 2024, describing the board’s inauguration as the “institutional take-off” of a bold pan-African initiative.
“I praise the high-calibre composition of the Board—statesmen, scholars, diplomats, and development experts—as a reflection of the credibility and global reach of OOLI, founded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” Mahama said.
He emphasized the urgent need for ethical, courageous, and visionary leadership across the continent, expressing confidence that under Obasanjo’s leadership and with the board’s support, OOLI would emerge as a global hub for transformational leadership.
In his remarks, General Martin Agwai (rtd), Director of OOLI, outlined the Institute’s progress since its commissioning, including infrastructure development and programme design, as well as plans to ensure a rapid and sustainable roll-out of activities.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Professor Ayo Omotayo, in his goodwill message, acknowledged NIPSS’s longstanding contribution to Nigeria’s development and affirmed OOLI’s potential to bridge leadership capacity gaps across Africa. He also envisioned a strategic partnership between the two institutions.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the Governing Board and former President Olusegun Obasanjo reflected on his decades of involvement in Africa’s development journey.
“For over 70 years, I have engaged with the complex tapestry of Africa’s growth. Despite our vast resources, we have consistently failed to transform potential into lasting progress—largely due to a leadership deficit,” he said.
Obasanjo identified the persistent lack of ethical and visionary leadership as a key obstacle to peace, prosperity, and sustainable development on the continent.
“The Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute is my response to that challenge. I conceived OOLI as a platform to nurture leaders prepared not just for today’s realities, but for the complexities of tomorrow,” he stated.
He further announced that the Institute, now affiliated with Bells University of Technology with the approval of the National Universities Commission, is fully set to launch its programmes.
“This marks not just an institutional milestone, but the fulfilment of a personal dream,” Obasanjo declared.
